Spring stabilizer attachment



Dec. 18, 1951 HELLWIG 2,578,702

SPRING STABILIZER ATTACHMENT Filed March 15, 1948 3 Sheets-Sheet 1 mmmm dmlllllllllllllilmm R0001. PH H H'l-LLW/G,

INVEN TOR.

A TroeA/E Y.

Dec. 18, 1951 HELLWlG 2,578,702

SPRING STABILIZER ATTACHMENT Filed March 15, 1948 5 Sheeis-Sheet 2 E0001. PH E HELL W16,

1 N V EN TOR.

ATTO/QNEY.

Dec. 18, 1951 R. H. HELLWIG SPRING STABILIZER ATTACHMENT Filed March 15, 1948 IIIIII/III/IIIIIIIIIIIII/IA ill/III r E fl...l.r.llllllllllll.. 2 I II A I IIIIIIMIIIIIIJ WIIIIIIIIIIIIIII IIIIIIIII/II/ s Sheets-Sheet s RUDOLPH H FELLw/e,

JNVENTOR.

ATTORNEY.

inverted U shape in general, each of the arms of the bar is preferably somewhat sinusoidal or provided with reversed curve shape to impart greater resiliency thereto and to distribute such resiliency over the entire length of the bar.

It must be pointed out here that the tension bar I2 may assume any desired shape according to the installation on which it is to be installed. In other words, the tension bar I2.may

be inverted from that shown in Fig. 1, or it may be of S shape or any other desired shape that will conform to the particular installation being made. The ends I3 and I4 of the tension bar I2 are adjustably connected to connecting bars I5 and I6, respectively. These connecting bars may be made of any suitable material, such as cast steel, spring steel, or the like, While the tension bar I2 is preferably made of spring steel possessed of the required resiliency, depending upon the job being done.

The connecting bars I5 and I6 are clamped to the A frame bars II by means of U-shaped clamps II. the full length of the A frame bar II and curve around the outer ends thereof, as shown at I8, it being understood that the bars I5 and I6 may only extend. a portion of the length of the A frame bars, as long as the bars I5 and I6 are" 7 provided with specially designed, semi-cylindrical plates 22, these plates being provided with spaced openings for receiving the legs of-the U- shaped clamp 2|, one of the plates 22 being in- 'serted on the clamp with its curved surfaces positioned toward the inner curved surface of the tension bar.

After the U-shaped clamp is positioned for 7 connecting the adjacent ends of the tension bar and connecting bar, the other plate 22 is imposed on the legs of the U-shaped clamp 2 I, the curved surfaces of the other plate 22 resting against the inner concave surface of the curved end of the connecting bar. Thereafter, the nuts 23 are tightened on the threaded end portions of the legs of the U-shaped clamp to provide the desired tension in the tension bar I2. It can now be readily understood that by adjusting the nuts 23, the tension in the bar I2 may be regulated. It will be noted that the tension bar I2 lies in a vertical plane with its centralportion above the level of the zone of connection with connecting bars I5 and I6 in Fig. 1, whereas the central portion is below the level of the end portions and the points of connection in Fig. 3. The ends of tension bar I2 and of the adjacent connecting bars are not in actual contact, but instead are spaced from each other, the legs of clamps 2| being under tension. Since ends I3 and I4 are permanently curved in opposite directions These connectingbars may extend I to the curvature imparted to the ends of the adjacent connecting bars, the connection is flexible but will not be released even when sudden shock loads of high amplitude are imposed upon the assembly.

It will be noted that clamps 2| are adjacent the inner, pivoted ends of the A frames but not in line with such pivotal axes. Connecting bars I5 and I6 act as flexible levers which couple the "A frames to the tension bar I2. The sudden jars and road shocks which are received by the wheel of the vehicle on one side are thus transmitted to the other side in a resilient manner, thereby preventing side sway and preventing tipping of the vehicle, insuring stability, even when the vehicle is traveling at high speed around a curve on a rough road. It is under these extreme conditions (encountered daily by police cars, am-

ibulances, etc.), that the arrangement of the present invention reaches its greatest usefulness.

In Fig. 3, the tension bar I2 is shown inverted, and the connecting bars I5 and I6 are positioned on the upper surfaces of the A frame bars II. In this embodiment, the present spring ,means is utilized as a shock absorber to regulate and snub the over-buoyancy of the springs. It is important to note that the arrangement of elements in the present invention produces a lateral or lineal expansion of the tension bar I2. In other words, the spring action of'the present invention is substantially perpendicular to the direction of the force applied, i. e., tension bar works in a horizontal plane against road shocks in a vertical plane. Since the central portion of tension bar I2 (extending transversely of the vehicle axis) is not fastened to the vehicle, such tension bar (or most of it) may move transversely of the vehicle to absorb or equaliz the loads imposed thereon.

Referring to Fig.4, which illustrates the present invention for use both as an expansion spring and a rebound, spring and. is shown applied between the frame 25 of a vehicle and its supporting axle 26, a bracket 21 is rigidly attached to the frame 25 by any suitable means, such as bolts 28. The'bracket 21 may be provided with a pair of wings 29 carrying a pin, to which the outer end of a flat bar 3| is turnably connected, as shown. at 32. The bar 3| extends inwardly from the bracket 2'! and a predetermined distance past the axle 26.

A sinusoidal, fiat-stock tension bar or spring, represented in its entirety by 33, is formed intermediate its ends to partly surround the axle 26 and is' clamped rigidly to the axle by a curved, U-shaped clamp 34. The inner portion 35 of thetension bar 33 has its free end adjustably connected tofthe inner free end of the bar 3| by means of an'adjustable bolt 36,

the inner end of the bar 3| being curved, as shown at 31, and the inner end of the tension 1 bar 35 being correspondingly curved, as shown at 38. I The threaded end of the bolt 36 may be provided with a semi-cylindrical washer 39 for permitting limited rotation between'the curved surface of the washer 39 and the opposing surface of the curved end 38 of the tension bar' 35.

The outer portion 4| of the tension bar 33 has its freeend curved, asshown at 42, and

is adjustably connected to a bracket 43 anchored to the bar 3| by any suitable means, such as a bolt M.

The bracket 43 is curved, as shown at 45, for accommodating an adjusting bolt 46, whereby the tension on the portion 4| of the tension bar may be adjusted in the same man- :ner :aszthebolt' :38 is :iitilized for adjusting *the 1' tension on the portion 3510f rthe tension -rbar 33.

Upon referring to Fig. 4, :it' will' be enoted that :as' the: frame 1 of the f car zmov'es downwardly r elativeto the axle :26, the bar 3il will be carried inwardly in the'direction =ofxthe axle. :In doing thlS the portion 35 f the tEHS'iOn bar"3-3 willibe nected at one end to the frame of the vehicle,

such bar carrying a sinusoidalsp'r 'i'ng 33 connecte'd at its mid-point to an axle and at its ends to the bar, whereby "movement of "the axle ina vertical directionistranslated into a move- --ment of the axle along the bar '3}, the ends of the spring 33 absorbing and 'da'mpin'g the vertical forces by tensile :and compressiveeffects exerted lineally in a substantially horizontal plane and in directions parallel tothe axis of the vehicle and transverseto the axisof the'axle.

' Fig. 5 illustrates a 'diiferent construction from that illustrated in Fig. 4,'bllt WhiCh \Vl1l fl'lTICtiOn identically. In this embodiment, the inner endofia bar $8 is pivoted t'oja bracket 49, as shown at 56, the bracket 49 being rigidly fixed to the axle 23 by means oia El-"shaped clamp 5|. The

,outer or free end .of the bar 48 is curvedat 52 for receiving an adjusting bolt 53, the latter connecting the curved end 332 with the curved end't' of a tension spring i, the latter-having its inner end curved, as-shown at 5s, for engaging the inner end of a bracket El-,the latter being rigidly fixed to the frame 25 by any suitable means, such as bolts 58. Another tension spring cl has its inner end adjustably connected to a bracket 62, the latter being anchored to the bar 48 adjacent the axle 26, as shown at E3. The inner end of the tension spring BI is curved, as shown at 54, for cooperation with an adjusting bolt 65, the latter being in engagement with the curved portion 66 of the bracket 62. The outer end of the tension bar 6! is curved, as shown at 61, for engagement with the outer end of the bracket 51 carried by the frame 25.

In this embodiment, it can be clearly understood from Fig. 5 that as the frame 25 moves downwardly toward the axle 2B, the bar i8 will cause stretching of the tension bar 55, the latter acting as a lift of suspension spring. Upon movement of the frame 25 upwardly from its normal position, stress will be applied to the tension bar 6|, the latter acting as a shock absorber to snub any over-buoyancy of the assembly.

Figs. 6 and 7 illustrate the invention utilized as a suspension spring or an auxiliary suspension spring. In this embodiment, housing H, which is shown in cross-section, is rigidly fixed to a vehicle frame 25 by any suitable means, such as bolts 12. The inner end of the housing is provided with a port 73, through which an arm l4 extends. The inner end of the arm is provided with a heart-shaped head 75, the head 75 being pivotally connected through the housing to the frame 25 by the pivot bolt F5. The head 15 providing the extensions 18 and 79 is formed to engage the curved ends 8| and 82 of tension springs 83 and 84, respectively. The outer ends of the springs 83 and 84 may be anchored to the outer .i-spectively. The free end of the arm .ITGQ-iSflOilnected to the axle 26 by any suitable means,

such'a's a rod 81, the upper :end ':of the rod 81 being pivoted to theinner-end of the arm 74,..as

:shown at 88, and the lower end of the rod I81 being pivoted to a bracket 89, as shown at vill, 'thebracket 89 being rigidly fixed to the axle 26. It will now be understood that when the frame 25 moves downwardly toward the axle 26, the

rod til-will turn the head 15 about its pivot I 6, and since the tension, bar ,84 engages the exteninner ends of thebars 83 and 84 being connected to the ends of the head 92, as shown at 93 and 94, respectively, the head 92 being pivoted through housing 5 i to the frame 25 by the pivot pin '95.

In the embodiment illustrated in Figs. 1 and :3, thejprese'nt device is applied to the conventional knee action assembly for suspending the front of vehicles. Thisa'ssembly, which includes an A frame on each side 'for' supporting a vertically disposed coil spring, 'has a tendency, even when the vehicle is new, to sway from one side tothe other during turning curves at relatively high speeds. When thelpresen't device is 'applied to the knee action assembly, 1 as illustrated in Figs. 1 and '3, the lateral resiliency of the j'tension b'ar i2 absorbs this swaying action and re 'ders the car freeof swervingjonthe road. v 'lhe embodimentsj illustrated in Figsf l and 5 when attached longitudinally of the car, operate to absorb the longitudinal stresses usually imposed on the springs. These particular embodiments are specially adapted for mounting on the rear end of a vehicle as auxiliary spring suspension means for use in place of overload springs for suspending the rear end of a vehicle.

The combination of the vertical resilent component provided for the conventional spring furnished with the vehicle and the horizontal or lateral component produced by the present construction renders a more stable suspension, and the combined vertical and horizontal, resilient components cooperate in unison to provide smooth, perfectly controlled spring action.

The embodiments illustrated in Figs. 6 and 7 illustrate a very simple manner in which the present invention may be utilized for spring suspending one object upon another or the device may be employed as an auxiliary spring to augment conventional springs after they have become Weak during usage. This embodiment further provides a shock-absorbing action, thereby providing a compact, self-contained spring suspension and shock absorber within a single unit.

Accordingly there is provided spring suspension means wherein the resiliency of the springs acts substantially perpendicular to the weight of the load imposed thereon. The lateral resilient component of the present invention when used with vertical coil springs operates efiectively to eliminate swerving and swaying of a vehicle. The present invention when applied longitudinally of a vehicle operates effectively to absorb The present invention may be utilized. as the sole spring suspension means or employed tostrengthen conventional suspension means or may be used as an auxiliary spring suspension means. The device is simple, durable, rugged,

easy to install, efficient in operation and comparatively cheap to manufacture. a

While I have illustrated and described cer tain forms of the invention, it will now be apparent to those skilled in the art that the tension bars disclosed may assume any desired shape,

that the tension bars may be made from matee15.

oi: a laterally extending stabilizer attachment rial of any selected cross-section, and that the tension bars may be connected in any suitable manner between the supporting object and the object to be supported. Other changes, modifications, substitutions, additions and omissionsc20 'may be made in the exemplary forms shown without departing from the spirit and scope of and vertically disposed spring means interme-= diate said apex and base for springingly supporting the weight borne by the wheel, the provision of: a laterally extending stabilizer attachment consisting of a resilient strip metal member having portions curved about axestransverse to said resilient member, the ends of the resilient member being vertically displaced from said points of pivotal mounting, and means attachable to each end of said resilient member for connecting the member to one of the wheel .suspensionmeans whereby vertical movement of a wheel suspension means will cause flexingof said curved portions.

2. A stabilizer attachment as stated inclaim 1, wherein said connecting means include means for adjusting the normal length of said resilient strip metal member.

3. In a vehicle having, a pair of laterally aligned wheel suspension means, each consisting of a substantially horizontally disposedVA-frame havingits apex supported by a wheel and its base pivotally mounted upon the vehicle. and vertically disposed spring means intermediate said apex and basefor springingly supporting the weight borne by the wheel, the provision consisting of a resilient strip metal member having portions curved about axes transverseto said resilient member, the ends of the resilient member being vertically displaced from said points of pivotal mounting, and means attachable to each end of said resilient member for connecting the member to one of the wheel suspension means, said connecting means including a pair of connecting strips of resilient metal and detachable retaining means for holding a portion of each of said connecting strips fixed relative to an A- frame, whereby vertical movement of a wheel suspension means will cause flexing of said curved portions.

RUDOLPH H. HELLWIG.

REFERENCES CITED The following references are of record in the file of this patent:

Number Name Date 1,859,105 Munro May 17, 1932 2,357,299 Bagnall Sept. 5, 1944 

